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State kicks off STAAR testing today

by KJCE Staff,posted Mar 26 2012 6:34AM

Students in Texas public schools will face the latest iteration of the state's achievement test beginning today.

The new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test, will be given to students in fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. Current high school upperclassmen will continue to take the STAAR test's predecessor, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills or TAKS test.

The new test is considered by many to be tougher than the TAKS test, similar to college entrance exams. It features fewer multiple choice questions, several essay questions, and is timed - unlike the TAKS test.

Eventually, the STAAR test will be included as a component of a student's overall grade point average. The Texas Education Agency has given districts the option of delaying that requirement for one year; it will be enforced for the 2012-2013 school year.